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The Barnes

The Barnes

Simplicity Is The Ultimate Sophistication

Regular price  $679.00
Regular price  Sale price  $679.00
Color

Color OD Green Micarta + Stainless

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The Exponentially Better Integral.

At The James Brand we're dedicated to making the very best knives and tools and to always pushing the boundaries of what is possible. In that spirit, we are proud to introduce the Barnes. The Barnes is a titanium framelock, and it's our very first integral design. The Barnes is CNC-machined from one solid billet of 6AL4V titanium, which means fewer parts, less maintenance and the ability to do things with the form that you cannot do in standard knife construction. The Barnes is built around a 3.5 inch Bohler M390 stainless steel blade; this is our first knife with M390 which is widely regarded as the singular best blade steel. The blade runs on a stainless steel pivot and ceramic bearings, and the clip is CNC-machined titanium as well. The Barnes comes with our very first coin design, as it's bad luck to give a knife as a gift without exchanging the coin, and comes with a paracord lanyard. It's the finest and most technically advanced knife we've ever made.

Product details

Integral Design
Our very first integral design, machined out of a solid titanium billet.
CHOICE OF TWO SUPER STEELS
Bohler M390 stainless steel or Damasteel Hakkapella DS93X
Removable Lanyard
Comes with an integrated removable lanyard.
Deep Carry Clip
Reversible and removable deep-carry pocket clip.
Ceramic Bearings
The main pivot uses sealed ceramic bearings for an incredibly smooth action.

Technical specifications

Blade Steel
Bohler M390 stainless steel
Lock Style
Integral frame-lock with hardened steel lockface insert
Bearings
Ceramic bearings
Pocket Clip
Machined 6AL-4V titanium with paint-filled Clovis detail
Lanyard
Paracord lanyard included
Opening Style
Dual-sided thumb stud
Blade Length
3.5" / 8.9 cm
Overall Length
7.8" / 19.8 cm
Weight
4.6 oz / 132 g
Blade Shape
Drop point
Carry Orientaton
Right-handed
Carry Syle
Tip-up carry
Designed In
Portland, Oregon
Made In
Yangjiang, China
  • Regular price  $679.00
    Regular price  Sale price  $679.00
  • Buy Now

All day, every day.

We make knives and tools for people who live adventurously - for people like us. For those who aren’t content consuming other people’s stories, and who don’t wait around for other people to fix things. We're with you, from the pocket to the hand, and back again.

barnes showcase

The Barnes

At The James Brand we’re dedicated to making the very best knives and tools and to always pushing the boundaries of what is possible. In that spirit, we are proud to introduce the Barnes. The Barnes is a titanium framelock, and it's our very first integral design. The Barnes is CNC-machined from one solid billet of 6AL4V titanium, which means fewer parts, less maintenance and the ability to do things with the form that you cannot do in standard knife construction. The Barnes was named after one of the oldest projectile points found in North America, dating back more than 11,000 years. We are here, still trying to perfect the function and the form.

barnes projectile point

EVERY DETAIL CONSIDERED


barnes features sketch

The Exponentially Better Integral

The Barnes is built around a 3.5 inch stainless steel blade. The blade runs on a stainless steel pivot and ceramic bearings, and the clip is CNC-machined titanium as well. The Barnes comes with our very first coin design, as it's bad luck to give a knife as a gift without exchanging the coin, and comes with a paracord lanyard. It's finest and most most technically advanced knife we've ever made.

cnc machined titanium knife

CNC-Machined Ti Clip

barnes details exploded

God Is In The Details

Honoring the point of an integral—simplicity and less moving parts—The Barnes has fewer pieces than a standard folding knife. With an integral design you eliminate the backspacer and the two seams that come with it. You can also eliminate extra hardware, making the integral design as clean as possible.

But fewer parts tell only half of The Barnes's story; the other half of the tale is found in the precision of its 6AL-4V titanium body of the knife. Like hollowing out a canoe from a singular log, machining an integral out of a single billet of titanium is a very difficult task, both from the standpoint of both design and manufacturing. It's taken us years of work to get to this point where we could bring The Barnes to market, but we are not in a hurry to be first. We always strive to be best, and make sure that our designs live up to our values, and that process always takes a long time.

With its overall larger form (with a 3.5" blade) the Barnes is designed to fit full-size hands and the titanium scales' CNC-machined grippy texture lets you have total control of the knife at all times. The machined titanium clip is a deep-carry design, with no visible hardware. The Barnes also comes complete with a paracord lanyard.

damasteel barnes
barnes micarta damasteel
barnes reverse side

Never Tell Us the Odds.

In an attempt to honor tradition and avoid superstitious lousy luck, each Barnes comes with a die cast double-sided TJB coin. This is our first coin design, and it represents the evolution of the Clovis point which we use as our brand mark, and that fact that knives are in fact one of our very first tools, and are still just as useful today. We firmly believe that analog experiences matter, and the coin serves as a reminders to do real things, in real time, to try and properly counter-balance our overly-digitized existences.

History tells us that gifting a knife risked the possibility of "cutting ties between friends." To prevent affable bonds from being severed, real or imagined, the tradition of including a coin when gifting a knife was born. When a knife was given, a coin, typically a penny (for good luck), was attached to the blade. The receiver of the gift would simply return the coin to the giver, thus "paying" for the knife and ensuring that the relationship remained intact (and the knife remained out of anyone's back).

We find value in the critical pieces of culture that tradition represents. Something as simple as gifting a coin with a knife can add meaning, creates a story and leaves a mark in the memory bank. So, when you present The Barnes with a TJB coin as a gift, you turn an exchange into into memory.

barnes coin heads
barnes coin tails
barnes packaging
average rating 4.8 out of 5
Based on 68 reviews
  • 5 Stars
    59 Reviews
  • 4 Stars
    8 Reviews
  • 3 Stars
    0 Reviews
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    1 Review
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    0 Reviews
99% of reviewers would recommend this product to a friend
Customer photos and videos
68 Reviews
Reviewed by Frederick N.
Verified Buyer
I recommend this product
Rated 5 out of 5
Review posted

Fine Precision Instrument

I really haven’t been using the Barnes to carry. I collect knives of this caliber and carry different knives for work. However, I have really been handling this knife and I’ve come to understand it and really appreciate that this isn’t just a pocket knife. This is a well thought out and executed precision instrument. It is built phenomenally well. The fact that it’s an integral ups the ante even more. I’m a fan off integral knives and my collection has many. I’m really impressed with this piece and happy I’ve added it to my collection. The choice to use M390 steel for the blade was a great decision. We all know the great capabilities of that steel. This seems almost bulletproof to be honest. It was worth the investment. If you can… grab yourself one.

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Reviewed by Allen M.
Verified Buyer
I recommend this product
Rated 5 out of 5
Review posted

Just got my new Barnes!

I just got my first TJB knife and it is the Barnes. I had very high expectations and this knife blew me away! Perfect centering, 30% lockup, drop shut(after adding a little KPL, razor sharp with excellent symmetrical bevels. I have a WAY to large collection (according to my wife) including Hinderers XM 18, Chris Reaves Umnumzaan and Inkosi, and a Dave Curtiss F3 and this Barnes is on par with all of those. In fact it probably couldn’t be better quality but it is more refined with the integral design and the absolutely amazing machining. I can’t yet speak to edge retention or durability but I intend to use this baby! I believe that you can only truly enjoy a knife by using it! As it is I couldn’t possibly recommend this knife any more upon unboxing and inspection. It is pricey but everything in the Biden economy is! So if you can find or bring yourself to drop that much cash on a knife, do so without concern because it is Amazing!

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Reviewed by Niles B.
Verified Buyer
I recommend this product
Rated 5 out of 5
Review posted

Cost to munch!.... ?

I didn't buy this knife for a long time because some many people said it was over priced. When I looked at a video by Jim Skelton and then saw and interview with the owner of the company, I decided to buy the knife. I am glad I did. It is a high quality knife that is on par with the couple of other knives I have bought in the same price range. I have a fairly large knife collection priced from fifty to seven hundred dollars and since I have carried this knife , I have to say that I understand the hesitation on price,( I have to swallow hard to spend over five hundred for a knife) yet I have not regretted doing so on the few I have chosen buy in this price range. The Barnes is a beautiful functional tool and if you love the look and dimensions of the knife like I did I believe you will be glad you spent the money once you get it.

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Reviewed by Timothy F.
Verified Buyer
I recommend this product
Rated 5 out of 5
Review posted

The Barnes

Some say over priced but this knife is stunning. Absolutely beautiful and an integral to boot. Worth every penny in my mind and extremely pleased to have this in my collection.

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Reviewed by Marla W.
Verified Buyer
I recommend this product
Rated 5 out of 5
Review posted

So Cool!

I am so glad that I bought this knife. It is very well made. I see zero flaws in mine. The precise tolerances are a joy. I love the integral design. There’s is nothing I’d change about any single aspect of the design. Since it’s not a user knife for me and not broken in, I have to open it with two hands.

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